


Wet Music

by Lotsofwordsinarow



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Oneshot, Past Relationship(s), Post-Omnic Crisis, Reaper76 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-29 17:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16748548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lotsofwordsinarow/pseuds/Lotsofwordsinarow
Summary: Jack and Gabriel slowly start to get used to the presence of one another again.





	Wet Music

Jack pulled his hood up further, the light rain not bothering him as much as someone recognizing his face. He hadn’t yet shown his true identity to the new Overwatch agents, let alone a random stranger on the street. He remained always as Soldier 76. Though, it was a hassle sometimes, and the agents insisted that he was safe telling them who he was, but he knew they wouldn’t understand. Even Ana, one of his oldest friends and the only one who knew who he truly was, sometimes didn’t understand. She had revealed herself, needing to be with her daughter and Reinhardt. She had tried to convince him it was ok, but he still refused. No, only one other person understood why he didn’t unmask himself and ironically, that was the only person he was willing to reveal his face for.

  
He came to a stop under an abandoned bridge. The bridge was on the outskirts of Dorado, a city he knew like the back of his hand. He knew this was the safest place to meet; the only place he was sure no one was watching. He had been meeting Talon’s Reaper, or Gabriel Reyes for those who used to know him, for months in secret. It wasn’t an act of betrayal, neither of them exchanging any information on their organizations. Quite the contrary to betrayal, they were meetings of peace. Peace between two old friends that had once been lovers that were now enemies.

  
Jack could remember the first time they’d met beneath the bridge. He wasn’t sure if it was shear luck on Gabriel’s part or if he had been following him, but Jack had been relaxing under this bridge during a downpour, his mask in his hand. There were certain things his mask took from him and one of them was smell. He could smell a bit, but he couldn’t really breathe in the sweet smell of rain, something that ripped old, sweet memories from his mind. He didn’t particularly like remembering the past, but rain memories…he had no negative memories of the rain. He had his eyes closed for barely a second to breathe in the fresh scent when Gabriel had appeared behind him, Jack turning with his rifle raised, ready to destroy whoever had found him. Neither of them had moved, both of them staring at the other in silence until Jack had lowered his weapon. Gabriel didn’t have his guns out and seemed quite content to lean against the far cracked wall in silence. Jack had eventually turned back to his position, this time staring into the rain, a little less lonely.

  
Their visits had gotten a bit more regular since then, neither of them really talking, both of them appearing when it rained. Jack hadn’t bothered bringing his rifle anymore, something he did out of a show of trust. He knew Gabriel would notice its absence, but he never commented. In return, Jack had noticed Gabriel took his own mask off when they were under the bridge. His dark hood covered his face, but going by the slight black smoke that shimmered from the hood, Jack guessed that by removing his mask, Gabriel was showing his own way of trusting Jack.

  
The silence went on for a couple months before Jack had broken the silent truce. He’d been genuinely hungry on his way to the bridge and had stopped at a food stand. He’d bought extra out of an old habit. He’d ducked under the bridge just as the sky had opened and the worst of the storm was starting, Gabriel already leaning against his side of the bridge. Jack had handed him the bag casually, his voice steady considering the nerves he felt.

  
“I bought extra.”

  
It had taken a long moment for Gabriel to take the bag, the claws from his gloves crinkling it loudly. He hadn’t replied, but Jack hadn’t cared. He’d gone and sat on his designated rock just under the bridge’s edge, eating his food while rain splashed on his boots. He’d simply smiled to himself as he heard the bag open behind him.

  
The conversation had taken off slowly from that point, Jack always the one talking in short sentences. He supposed it couldn’t really be called a conversation since he was the only one talking, but he didn’t care. He was able to sit and just exist with Gabriel again. His heart reminded him every visit how much he truly ached for the man near him and how much he missed his presence. If Gabriel never wanted to talk to him again, but still sat with him, he’d accept that happily for the rest of his life.   
Yet to his surprise, one visit Gabriel did talk. They had been under the bridge as normal, the rain rhythmically hitting the ground, so much that Jack had leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes, listening to the music. He’d felt more at peace in that moment then he probably ever had. All that existed for him was the rain and Gabriel; it was all he needed.

  
“Good to see some things don’t change.”

  
Jack had looked over at Gabriel, noticing his hood was slightly turned towards him, but not enough to show his face. Jack hadn’t known how to really respond, so instead he’d simply nodded and looked back out at the rain. He’d been elated Gabriel had spoken to him. He knew it had taken Gabe a lot to simply speak; he hadn’t been willing to push the other man.

  
Since then, they’d exchanged small, one or two sentence conversations. Usually about the rain, but sometimes they talked about the other obviously being injured or where the best places to eat around the world were. They were small, unimportant subjects but to Jack they meant everything. Jack knew the meetings weren’t fixing the bigger issue of their relationship and as much as it pained him, he wasn’t entirely sure they could be fixed, but they were creating links between them. He hoped someday all these small links would help them stick together when the harder conversations needed to be aired.

  
Today he had decided to take a chance on one of the harder conversations, without actually talking. He thought maybe just a simple act would help instead of words. The case on his back was a firm reminder of how much he was chancing at this working. It very well could have the opposite effect, but Jack had never been a coward. He knew Gabriel and he needed to move forward and this could provide the step in doing that.

  
He looked to the bridge, happy to see Gabriel was already there, casually leaning against his wall, his mask tied to his hip. Jack smiled. It made him happy that Gabe seemed so relaxed around him now. To a stranger it would look quite the opposite, but Jack knew Gabe; knew him probably better than anyone. He stepped under the bridge and pushed his hood back, shaking his head a bit and pushing water up away from his face. He was sure his hair was sticking up, but whatever. He took a step towards Gabriel and stopped instead of passing him. He saw the moment Gabriel realized this was different than their normal routine, his shoulders getting tense under his long coat.

  
Jack’s gruff voice was quiet compared to the now downpour around them, “I brought you something.”

  
He watched as Gabe tilted his head a bit, his hood shifting slightly. They had reached the point of being able to fully face one another, but Gabriel’s face was always hidden in a constant dark, shifting shadow that Jack could never see past. Even as a shadow, he could tell Gabe was curious about his statement considering he had no bags of food in his hands.

  
“It’s really yours, but…I thought you might like it back.”

  
With that, Jack reached to the strap across his chest, sliding the guitar case from his back and setting it down between them. He didn’t say anything as he stared at the case for a long moment before looking up into the shadow that was Gabriel’s face, or so he thought. Instead he was now staring at Gabriel’s true face, an older version of the man Jack had woken up to every morning for years. His hair was much longer, easily going past his shoulders and his trim goatee was now a beard that was barely tended too. He could tell Gabe probably haphazardly cut it to keep it from being too long, the choppiness of the trim apparent. His former deliciously brown skin had a hue of grey to it and his dark brown eyes now had a tinge of red, making them glow amber. He should’ve looked like a stranger, but to Jack he still was Gabe, the only man he’d ever loved.

  
“Why are you giving me this?”

  
Jack took a second to appreciate Gabriel’s lips move before answering, “Because it’s yours.”

  
Gabe wasn’t satisfied with that answer, Jack could tell. He tried to gather his words, his eyes moving to stare out at the rain, his voice softer now.

  
“Because its raining and you liked playing when it rains.”

  
He heard a sharp inhale, his hands fisting at his sides. He had known what giving the guitar back to Gabe would mean. It meant he acknowledge their past relationship. He remembered their time together. He admitted to these memories and was showing Gabe he wasn’t pretending they didn’t exist anymore. He was letting Gabe know he remembered every little detail of their relationship, even things as small as Gabe loving to play his guitar while it rained with Jack leaning against his back, his eyes closed as he listened to the combined music of the guitar and the rain. It was such a specific memory, but by acknowledging it, Jack was opening himself even more to the man in front of him. A man that would now open himself up as well or walk away. Jack was ashamed to admit he couldn’t look at Gabe’s face again out of fear of the possible rejection.

  
Tense minutes past as they both stayed silent, the guitar still on the ground between them. Jack was starting to wish he could retreat into the rain when he saw gloved hands reach down and flick the guitar case open. He turned to watch as Gabriel was bent down, his hands hesitantly sliding over the wood of the guitar. His heart nearly jumped from his chest as Gabe took the guitar out and sat back against his wall, his gloves being removed. His hands were the same as always, albeit slightly grey, but still rough and strong. Jack watched in silence as Gabe proceeded to tune the guitar, the sounds bringing up even more memories than the rain.

  
As Gabe’s fingers found a rhythm and danced slowly over the strings, a familiar song mixed with the rain. Jack let his back hit the other wall, his body slowly sliding down until he was seated. He let his head fall back against the cement, his eyes slowly closing as he listened to the music around him. He smiled to himself as the rain smelt even sweeter now. 


End file.
